Vintage Virginia Apples

Who we are: Rural Ridge is a family-run orchard dedicated to exploring the varieties of apple that can thrive in Albemarle County,Virginia. Thomas Jefferson experimented with 18 or more varieties of apples at Monticello, only a few miles from our orchard. Rural Ridge grows the dozen or so of those cultivars that are still extant as well as hundreds of other old-fashioned varieties that offer delightful alternatives to the limited varieties currently available in grocery stores.

Rural Ridge Orchard is owned and operated by the Shelton family.

Vintage Virginia Apples was founded in 2000 by the Shelton family and has grown to encompass a variety of tree fruits that are becoming increasingly rare. Many of these are older varieties that have fallen into obscurity or just do not fit the needs of today’s commercial marketing and distribution systems. We began by planting interesting apple varieties and now have more than 200 varieties. We have collected about three dozen peach varieties. We grow several plums, cherries, nectarines and apricots. We have added pears in the last couple of years and are testing varieties that will grow for us in central Virginia. Our most significant endeavor is the nursery that has grown from this love of vintage varieties. We grafted about 100 apples and pears in 2007 and have budded more than a dozen peaches and plums for our fall 2007 planting season. Many of these varieties are virtually unobtainable elsewhere. Our catalog is now online and we are accepting orders.

Our workshops have been well received and we are looking forward to expanding our offerings in years to come. In addition to other fruit culture topics, we plan to explore culinary and related crafts, such as vinegar making. We are also planning to expand our cider production as our trees mature. We will be breaking ground on a new building to support these endeavors in 2008. We are excited about the prospects for our small enterprise and appreciate the interest and enthusiasm of all our friends and well wishers. We look forward to welcoming you to Rural Ridge Orchard this fall and in years to come.

. Williamsburg Tasting

Bud Shelton, owner, and Tom Burford, consultant (left), display some of the special apples grown at Rural Ridge Orchard. At right, Charlotte Shelton speaks at an Apple Tasting in Historic Williamsburg.

Why we offer Vintage Virginia Apples: Before the last half of the 20th century, every region had its favorite varieties of apples that grew well in its soil. The advent of a national market, driven by the growth and consolidation of supermarket chains, has reduced the number of available apple varieties to 8-10 that keep well, respond well to extensive spray programs, and have an attractive and uniform outer skin. Much of the flavor that our ancestors cherished has been sacrificed. The old regional varieties prized by our grandparents are difficult, if not impossible, to find -- and some have disappeared entirely. Vintage Virginia Apples is dedicated to finding the most richly flavored fruits available that will grow well in our climate. We welcome you to join with us as we expand our plantings and explore the vast variety of taste experience that nature can offer.

Where we are: Come explore the varieties of apples we offer, try our workshops on growing and using different types of apples, order from our online store, or come join us in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains for one of our special events. We are only 20 minutes from downtown Charlottesville, Virginia.

Click here for a map and directions to our location. If you are using an Internet mapping program to get specific directions, the address to use is 2550 Rural Ridge Lane, North Garden, VA 22959.

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